17 Things You Need To Know Before Ordering Taco Bell
You've been to Taco Bell, right? Right. And you absolutely loved it, right? Right. From the Chicken Chalupas to Crunchwrap Supreme®, everything on the menu there is too delish to resist. But whether you're a regular at the chain or not, there is plenty about Taco Bell that you probably don't know—but you should. Let's go...
1. It all started in 1954 as "Bell's Drive-In."
There was a second location called "Taco Tia" and both sold 19-cent tacos in the San Bernardino, CA area. It wasn't until 1962 that founder Glen Bell opened the first location of Taco Bell in Downey, CA. Just five years later the chain grew to 100 locations. Taco Bell saved the building of its first restaurant, Numero Uno, from destruction and drove it from Downey, CA, to the brand’s headquarters in Irvine in 2015.
2. Taco Bell has its own hotel in Palm Springs.
Yep, you read that right. The Bell opened in Palm Springs in 2019 and immediately sold out two minutes after reservations were made available online. We checked it out and ate a ton of food.
3. Taco Bell delivers from everywhere.
The taco chain now delivers in pretty much every state. So you can enjoy your guilty pleasure food from anywhere.
4. You can get married at a Taco Bell in Las Vegas.
Since opening in 2017, the Las Vegas Cantina Chapel has officiated 270 marriages. Where else could you get a hot sauce bouquet and Cinnabon Delights cake?
5. It's got the hottest sauce around.
Diablo sauce, the brand's spiciest hot sauce yet, launched in 2015 on Cinco de Mayo. And it was an immediate hit with Pineapple Whip Freeze lovers and Flamin' Hot Doritos Locos Taco obsessives alike.
6. It aims to be completely eco-friendly by 2025.
By 2025, Taco Bell wants to make all packaging recyclable, compostable, or reusable. We don't know how the COVID-19 virus impacted these commitments, but we're hoping they're still on track.
7. The chain is certified vegetarian.
It was the first fast-food company to offer a fully American Vegetarian Association-approved menu.
8. Taco Bell spearheaded the taco emoji movement.
Before our beloved taco emoji became reality, it took some serious campaigning to the character keyboard makers at Unicode. And Taco Bell led the way with Twitter storms and a Change.org petition.
A post shared by Taco Bell (@tacobell) on Nov 9, 2015 at 7:03am PST
9. The company awards over $3 million in scholarships.
The Live Más Scholarship, funded by the Taco Bell Foundation, touts itself as being totally different from traditional school funding. Awards for high-school seniors on their way to college range and are based on individuals' innovative, creative aspirations rather than grades and test scores.
10. Taco Bell sponsored the first X Games.
Back in 1995, the chain welcomed the inaugural extreme-sports competition hosted by ESPN.
11. There are no locations in Mexico.
That said, the chain has made its way overseas to Spain, the U.K., Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. You can currently find a Bell in 31 countries across the globe. It has tried a few times to open in Mexico, though...
12. The chain air-dropped tacos to Alaska.
In the remote town of Bethel, AK, there are no Taco Bell locations (the nearest one is 400 miles away in Anchorage), so the company decided to employ helicopters for a very special delivery of 10,000 Doritos Locos Tacos in 2012.
13. Taco Bell used to serve chili burgers.
A menu from 1965 resurfaced, and the internet went wild over it. The basic offerings—tacos, burritos, frijoles—weren't exactly encouraging people to "live más." But a chili burger? Like a souped-up chili dog? Please, do elaborate, TB.
14. The largest order ever included 349 beef burrito supremes.
Plus 201 chicken burrito supremes. And 101 steak burrito supremes. Oh, and one crunchy beef taco.
A post shared by Taco Bell (@tacobell) on Jul 30, 2014 at 1:06pm PDT
15. The brand's trademark chihuahua was named Gidget.
And she was female. Originally cast as the Taco Bell Chihuahua's girlfriend, Gidget scored the leading roll after the director changed his mind at the last minute, so she played as a male dog character and gave the famous "!Yo quiero Taco Bell!" line.
16. Cinnamon tortilla chips were once on the menu.
Back in the '80s, Taco Bell had sweet cinnamon crispas available for just 39 cents.
17. Taco Bell has a liquor license.
And it's pretty sweet. The first Cantina location served booze, beer, wine and even spiked slushes. Now they're available in most major cities. Spiked slushes at Taco Bell are a real pastime.
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